In the Eyes of the Brother
by Imagination Run Wild
Summary: Elena is a mother of two and married to Stefan Salvatore who is a marine. Stefan is going back to war in a few weeks and Elena is terrified. She will be left at home with her children and her brother-in-law she can't stand, Damon. How will she deal with him while her husband is away? And how close will they become?
1. Love and Fear

_**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing!**_

Elena awoke in a haze, only to realize she was fine and in the arms of the man she loved. She had to always remind herself that her husband was back home with her and their daughters Lexi and Miranda, and it was still hard for her to get used to, since only a matter of years ago he had been at war. However, that was his job and his duty and she couldn't let man she loved know just how much it pained her when he was gone. She had tried talking him out of going back but he said he felt as if he had a purpose and wanted their daughters to be proud of him. But she didn't want him to leave again but only in another couple of weeks he'd be once again at war. Elena kept trying to talk Stefan out of it but he was stubborn just like she was, so she knew it was no use and there was no changing his mind. Elena just wanted to spend her last weeks with him happy and being a family and if not for her then for their children.

Stefan started to wake as the light shone through there window, and Elena quickly feigned sleep. To her dismay Stefan had caught on quickly that that was her go to when there was something on her mind.

Stefan nuzzled in her hair, before pushing it to the side and softly kissing her neck.

"Good morning…" Stefan whispered along her neck so that he had the perfect angle to kiss her throat.

"Morning." she replied sleepily. Stefan softly ran his nose up and down her neck before stopping at her collarbone and gently planting a kiss.

Elena couldn't help but giggle as she turned around and looked into his eyes. She saw something there that was more and love, but she couldn't quite place the emotion, and then Stefan quickly recomposed himself so not to let Elena pick up on it. Elena was just about to ask him what it was when Miranda came running into their room and behind her Lexi. Miranda's little legs ran so fast into the room and before her parents knew it she was on the bed jumping up and down. Lexi who was still in the doorway couldn't help but laugh at her little sister and join her on their parent's bed. Elena and Stefan took a quick glance at each other and then their two bouncing daughters, and then without any hesitation Stefan grabbed Lexi in a tight bear hug while Elena did the same to Miranda before they started tickling their daughters senseless. All you could hear from their room were giggles. Finally the giggles stopped when they saw him. Damon. Damon had just been released from prison for domestic abuse and robbery. Elena did not feel comfortable around him one bit, in fact he actually frightened her if she were to be honest, but he was Stefan's brother and her daughter's uncle so she had to put up with him and she did. It was getting harder now to avoid him like she always does, ever since he moved into their guest room.

"Well, well I didn't know it was a family sleep-over I would've brought my Jim- jams." Damon said sarcastically. Elena's eyes narrowed at her brother-in-law and she gave him a glare that screamed," Don't You Dare in front of the children."

Damon seeing Elena's unease quickly put his hands up in defense, before acknowledging his nieces in the room.

"So who wants chocolate chip pancakes?" He said with excitement.

"I do" I Do" both girls chanted at their uncle before scrambling out of their parents room.

Elena gave gave Damon the death glare. "Do you have any idea how wound up they're gonna be later, not to mention that chocolate is not breakfast food!" Elena yelled at Damon in just above a whisper so the girls wouldn't hear.

Stefan finally chimed in seeing that this was not going well between his wife and is brother.

"Damon was only trying to be helpful," Stefan said sweetly to Elena, "Weren't you Damon?" Stefan said to make sure his brother heard the threat in his voice.

"Oh absolutely," Damon said in an agreeing tone. "Since I know how much you do, I just though I'd pitch in, seeing as you were so kind to let me stay." Damon said persuasively to Elena.

But Elena wasn't having it. "Well the next time you want to help out, start with paying rent!" she said dryly.

Damon just smirked at her and said, "If you'll excuse me there are two little girls waiting for chocolate chip pancakes." Then Damon turned and walked towards the kitchen.


	2. Breakfast in Bed

"Ugh! I cannot stand your brother!" Elena nearly yelled.

"I know, I know he can be a real ass." Stefan complied trying to calm down his wife.

"Can be? Oh no Stefan he is an ass." Elena said exasperated. Elena was now pacing her room back and forth not knowing why his brother had to act like that, especially after she had been nothing but kind to him and had even let him stay in their home. Elena was beyond angry, but why she thought it was nothing he hadn't done before. Damon always liked to push her buttons but when it was in front of her kids that's where she drew the line. She did not want some ex-con deliberately trying to get a rise out of her especially in front of her own kids.

Stefan was now just watching every move Elena made and before she could turn around to pace again he grabbed her in his embrace trying to calm her nerves.

"Let go of me." Elena said through clenched teeth. She was still reeling from the conversation with his brother and didn't want to take it out on him.

"No. Elena Please relax, this is what he wants to get you all up and bothered. If it makes you feel better I'll talk to him."

"No Stefan, I'm tired of talking it never gets us anywhere with him. I want him out of our house." Elena hissed.

"Just give him one last chance and let me deal with him," Stefan pleaded as he cupped her face in his hands and gazed into her eyes. Elena couldn't help it when he looked at her like that, her heart would just melt.

"Fine he can stay for now," Elena breathed "but he's your responsibility and I don't want him influencing the girls." Elena said with a warning look.

Stefan relaxed a bit and smiled. "I'll take care of it." He promised. "God do you know how much I love you?" he asked in the sexiest voice he could muster.

"No but instead of telling me, why don't you show me?" Elena purred.

Stefan's eyes darkened as he scooped up his wife the way he did when they were first married and carried her over the threshold. Elena giggled profusely as he laid her down gently on their bed as he brought his lips down to hers and kissed her sweetly.

_Knock knock _they heard loudly against their door. So much for the moment Elena thought to herself as she sat up. "Come in." She said loudly. And just like that her two little princesses came walking in slowly with trays of food.

"We brought you breakfast in bed." Miranda squealed unable to control her excitement. Lexi and Miranda walked over to their parent's bed and put down the trays before climbing up into bed with them.

"Uncle Damon thought you'd like to try some chocolate chip pancakes mommy." Lexi said softly. Miranda nodded her head fiercely in agreement.

"Oh wasn't that nice?" Stefan said looking over to Elena.

"Yes, it was nice." Elena said in a high pitched tone to hide the fact she was displeased about it in front of her girls.

Then she heard someone clear their throat and she looked up and saw Damon in the doorway once again.

"I thought you should give the chocolate chip pancakes a try. They were so delicious, right girls?" Damon asked for confirmation.

Both girls smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Try them mommy," Miranda persuaded.

"Yeah they are really sweet" Lexi chimed in

"Just like you." Stefan said showing encouragement.

"Okay, fine I'll try them."

"Yay!" everyone said as Elena took a bite of the pancakes. She couldn't believe it they were so good. And they didn't taste like regular chocolate chip pancakes they were sweeter.

"What's in them, they taste really…" she started.

"Delicious?" Damon cut off her sentence. "No I was going to say sweet, and they don't taste like regular chocolate chip pancakes."

"It's because they aren't, they're my chocolate chip pancakes." Damon said matter of factly.

Elena turned to Stefan with a questioning look. "Damon knows how to cook; he was always in the kitchen with our mom growing up." Stefan explained.

"Yep, I bet you're thinking you chose the wrong brother? Huh?" Damon said teasingly.

Elena who was taking a drink of her milk at the time took a spit take and turned to glare at him, shocked he'd just said that, and in front of the kids no less. And Stefan looked at his wife unsure what was going to happen.

"Not at all," Elena said trying to cover up her uneasiness at his accusation.

"Damon," Stefan started trying to calm things down. "Can I have a word?"

"Well of course brother, we'll be right back Elena." Damon smirked at her again before exiting the room with Stefan in pursuit.

Elena still wide eyed at what he had said, realized it was not the time to be affected or angry by what he said. Elena instead just simply looked at her daughters who were smiling up at her and she smiled back before looking over to the door where both brothers had just exited.


	3. What Were You Thinking!

"Damon!" Stefan shouted. "What the hell is wrong with you, you know Elena isn't used to you being around especially with your past and yet you still continue to make her feel uncomfortable?"

"What am I going to do with you?" Stefan said agitated. Damon couldn't help but smirk while watching his brother pace back and forth arguing with himself. To be honest it was freaking hilarious, not that Damon would say anything. Stefan kept going off until Damon finally decided to put his brother out of his misery.

"Oh come on Stef, Elena loves having me around." Damon chimed in just before Stefan was about to start ranting again. "No Damon she really doesn't…she's scared of you and especially after when happened in the past I don't blame her for being a little worried." Stefan calmly stated.

"Stefan that is not what happened and you know it. I didn't do most of the stuff that they put me away for." Damon said defensively.

"I know, but you still had a part in it and that's why she is uncomfortable around you." Stefan countered. "Please just try to get along with her without upsetting her, she has a lot going on with the girls, without you having to add to her stress."

"Fine I'll go apologize."

"No Damon, just let her cool down, she was really upset that you said that and to be honest I'm not too happy about it either, but you're my brother and I need you to be here when I can't be." Stefan said just barely above a whisper.

"I know," Damon sighed.

"I'll be here for you, because growing up you were the only one there for me." Damon said.

"And you gave me a room with a great view of your wife while she does her morning yoga." Damon snickered returning to his original humor.

"Shut it Damon." Stefan growled. Then Damon mock punched Stefan, before Stefan could hit back he had him in a head lock and gave him a noogie. Then Elena and the girls walked in. Elena was wearing denim skinny jeans, a beige cardigan that was in contrast to her olive complexion, and long chestnut boots that had a two buckles wrapping around the middle; the girls were wearing jeans and small jackets Miranda's was lavender and Lexi's was sky blue. As soon as Damon saw Elena he looked her over with his eyes before stopping at her chest where her cleavage was showing just a little, but not enough to be considered trashy.

"What's going on here?" Elena asked as she quickly saw the brothers straighten up in her presence. "Just giving Stefan a lesson in fighting, never lose focus. Remember that brother." Damon retorted, while pretending to box. He had his arms in the correct stance as if her were in a boxing match, and that made Elena uneasy.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked looking at his children and wife's new attire.

"We're going to the park, I'm gonna catch up with Bonnie and Caroline, while the kids play." Elena said with enthusiasm for the kids benefit.

"Oh ok." Stefan shrugged. "I thought we were going to have some family time, but we can do that later; Go have fun." Stefan fake smiled on the last part. He thought they were going to spend the day together as a family? Why had she all of a sudden changed her mind? Stefan had no clue and he wasn't sure why but it made him feel empty at the thought of her leaving to be with her girlfriends instead of spending time with him. After all in just a few short weeks he was going to war and they'd be apart.

"I know, and we were, it's just that I thought the girls should get out and play, while you deal with…" Elena stopped looking over to Damon "Him." She said curtly.

"Yeah don't worry about your hubby, 'Lena I'll take good care of him." Damon smirked.

"I'm sure you will." Elena said quietly before grabbing both Lexi and Miranda by the hands and walking out the door with the girls and her messenger bag.

"Love you," Stefan shouted out as they walked out.

"Love you too." They all shouted back, before Lexi and Miranda started giggling.

"What was that about? She was in an awful hurry to get out of here." Damon said in a curious tone.

"Well what did you expect after you got her riled up this morning?" Stefan sighed hoping that was the only case and that it didn't have anything to do with him leaving shortly for war.

Elena and the girls met up with Caroline and Bonnie in the park in their usual spot by the two picnic tables under the big oak tree that they had played on as children, it over looked a cute and small playground consisting of a swing-set with four swings, two slides one long and fast, the other slow and twisty as well as a tunnel that leads to a little tree house castle, and two sets of monkey bars: one two handed and a single handed one.

Bonnie and Caroline were already there chatting and watching their children play, when they spotted Elena. Bonnie had married Jeremy, Elena's younger brother and they had a daughter named Sheila after Bonnie's grams and a son named Grayson after Jeremy and Elena's father , and Caroline had married Tyler and they had a boy Mason named after Tyler's uncle who he had been very close to.

The children were already on the play-set having a blast! As Elena watched her daughter runs to join their friends she couldn't help but notice how they all named their children after people they loved and lost. She and Stefan named their daughter's after Lexi Stefan's best friend who died when they were in the war together and Miranda after her mother who died in a car accident along with her father Grayson Gilbert, who Jeremy had named his son after with Bonnie, and they also had a daughter who they named Sheila after Bonnie's grams who died; and lastly Tyler and Caroline chose to name their son after Mason Lockwood Tyler's uncle because he had passed too, and it somehow made Tyler feel closer to his uncle.

This made Elena realize a lot of people had been taken from them, but they still managed to be happy and content in their lives. She shook her head, as if to shake away anymore of her unwelcome thoughts, and joined her friends in their usual spot.

"Hey 'Lena." Bonnie greeted sweetly, "Take a seat." She said as she gestured to the open seat.

"Yeah Elena take a seat you look green." Caroline commented as she rushed over to her friend and put the back of her hand against her forehead as Elena sat down.

"What's wrong?" Bonnie asked getting up to go check her friend who seriously needed medical attention by the looks of it.

"Nothing, I'm fine guys…" Elena lied. But they knew her too well.

"No you're not!" Caroline said in a high threatening whisper.

"Yeah Elena, we can definitely see something is up, so spill." Bonnie relies.

"Ugh." Elena utters at the last part of what Bonnie just said.

"Oh sorry honey, I meant spill your thoughts, not your insides." She says with an apologizing smile.

Elena seemed to relax a little at that. "Stefan is leaving again." She says in such a low whisper.

"What?" they both gasp in shock at the news.

"Yeah he's leaving two weeks from today," Elena said with a watery gleam in her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Bonnie says taking Elena's hands in her own.

"I didn't want to believe it was true and he wasn't even sure if her was going at first, and then we got the phone call three days ago, and now he's just… he'll be gone!" Elena gasped at her words holding back a sob.

"Oh honey, we're here for you, always." Caroline cooed before wrapping her arms around her best friend, who was clearly a wreck.

"What's important right now is for you to stay strong, and just enjoy the amount of time you have left with him." Bonnie said getting right down to business.

"I know that's all I wanted to do, but Damon just won't give us a break." Elena quips, trying to defend herself about why she isn't with her husband right now.

"Ugh! Damon! I could kill that man." Caroline says in a low dark voice, clearly upset that he's meddling in her best friend's happiness.

"I know what you, mean! Do you know how hard it is not to sneak into his room and…" She trailed off.

"And?" Bonnie asked bringing Elena back to her earlier thoughts.

"And STRANGLE him." Elena says in a loud whisper, clearly shaken up by Damon Salvatore messing with her, her marriage, and her children, and even more her life.

Elena had enough of him, but it was Stefan's brother she can't just turn him away it's not her place. She can hate him all she wants but she still has to put up with him because they are family. Ugh she hates having to use 'Damon' and 'family' in the same sentence, but it was the truth.

Elena finally just sat and stared ahead at her beautiful children playing on the slides and she couldn't help the small smile tug at her lips. Those were living proof of her and Stefan's love and commitment to each other and she was going to make sure they would always be protected. It was what she did, she was a mother now after all.


	4. I'm Sorry You Know I Love You

Elena came back to the house exhausted it had been a long day of telling Bonnie and Caroline about what had happened that morning with Damon, and the arguing with Stefan and how it only made her feel worse.

Elena had let the girls go over to Bonnie's to play with their cousins and have a sleepover besides, she needed serious alone time with her husband.

"Stefan? Damon? I'm home." Elena said looking around when she walked into the front door of her and Stefan's little home. "Where are they?" Elena asked clearly peeved.

...

"Ahh." Stefan said as he took a swig of bourbon from the bottle he and Damon took from the house.

"Whoa Stef, take it easy." Damon chucked clearly amused that his brother is having problems holding his liquor, despite where they were. They were at Mystic Falls High School football field where they each used to play back then. Oh how times have changed.

"What it's not like I drink all the time, I'm always with Elena and the girls, and I just never have time to cut back anymore." Stefan explained.

"Oh no need to tell me brother, you're whipped." Damon said cheekily.

"Whipped? Me?" Stefan started to laugh.

"Yeah you are Stefan, don't bother denying it. Elena and the girls have you in small terms 'Whipped'." Damon said using quotes.

"Okay, I'll admit to being a little whipped, but I'm not complaining, I love Elena and I always will." Stefan admitted.

"And I love my girls Damon." Stefan said seriously.

"I never said you didn't." Damon said putting his hands up in mock surrender.

"However, Stef you should kick back some more, and leave you little family to me." Damon said humorously to get a rise out of him.

"Ha, like I'd ever do that." Stefan retorted.

"Stefan, you are doing that." Damon reminded sadly before grabbing the bottle and chugging it down.

It burned the back of his throat as he took another sip. Man why am bringing this up. Stefan hates when I bring up him leaving for war, again. I forget sometimes and I hate to see that pained look in his eyes. Ugh I'm not nearly drunk enough to block this out yet.

"I know." Stefan said quietly, not wanting to say anymore.

Why is Damon doing this? I don't wanna talk about this with him, not that I really have the choice anymore. I need him to look after Elena and the girls, while I'm away.

Stefan grabbed the bottle again and nearly downed the rest of the bottle.

...

Back at Elena's and Stefan's Elena is on the couch by the fire place with her favorite brandy. She's in her light pink lace nightgown and long thin cover up. Her hair is down in curls that perfectly shape her petite face.

Why are they? I came home to be with my husband and apologize for splitting earlier, but then he's nowhere to be found and neither is Damon.

Just then the door opened and in came Damon with Stefan slumped over his shoulder.

"Oh my god, Stefan." Elena said running up to Damon to help him get Stefan to the couch.

"Stefan had a little too much to drink. Isn't that right brother?" Damon said casually. And all Stefan could do was mumble and groan something incoherent.

"You're drinking too, I see." Damon smirked and raised his eyebrows the way that makes Elena feel uncomfortable.

"Oh and you're just so innocent, right?" Elena said as she rolled her eyes.

"No definitely not." Damon said smirking again. Stefan started to groan once again incoherently and they both looked over at Stefan who is half passed out on the couch.

"Can please carry him to our bedroom, Damon?" Elena said with a pleading tone.

"Our bedroom, since when were you planning on telling me you wanna sleep with me Elena?" Damon said cockily.

"Ugh…Damon now is not the time." Elena spat before pointing Stefan silently telling Damon to bring him to their bedroom.

"Fine." Damon sighed as he once again threw Stefan over his shoulder and carried off towards Elena and Stefan's bedroom.

Once in the room Damon dropped Stefan down on the king sized bed and sighed.

"Well, I'm exhausted. You really are a heavy drunk aren't you Stef?" Damon chucked.

All Stefan did was grumble and swing his arm over his shoulder to swat at Damon as he quickly ducked the attempt.

"Goodnight Damon." Elena said firmly.

"What? No kiss?" Damon smirked again.

All Elena could do was glare at him. If looks could kill, let's just say her look was deadly.

"Goodnight Damon." She said once more with conviction.

"Goodnight Elena." Damon said in a light tone. "Night Stef." He said just as he walked out their bedroom and shut the door behind him.

Elena walked into their master conjoined bathroom and grabbed a glass of water and some aspirin as she was over to Stefan's side of the bed. She put it down on the nightstand and went to get into bed on her side. As she got in under the covers she turned to look at her husband. Then she simply kissed him on the forehead and said "I love you. And I'm sorry about earlier." She didn't really need to tell him now since he was so out of it, but she felt she need to.

And with that thought aside Elena lay down her head and went to sleep.

_**Please Review and tell me what you think! Suggestions? Comments? Questions?**_


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